Patriot Artistry: Trench Art and Music From WWII December 22, 2010

The exhibition features 150 pieces of WWII era metal sculpture known as "trench art" and a collection of colorful vintage sheet music covers from the era. Trench art consisted of found objects, typically artillery shells, shrapnel, and other scrap collected by soldiers and locals during the war that was then fashioned into pieces of art. Some of the artworks were made by soldiers passing the time while convalescing in hospitals as a way to provide memorial souvenirs to grieving family and friends of fallen comrades, and as mementos of their experiences overseas. The exhibit also takes a look at how music publishers, song writers, and cover artists rallied support for troops overseas.